I said yes but it does depend on the severity

^ Basically, it depends on what the crime is. Not all of them would be grounds for execution.

@Brucenotbryce and @Wolfscar45 I can understand that. But in that case, the Imperials I am considering have crimes that are exceptionally extensive. Let’s say for example Moff Gideon. While we don’t know how he faked his execution, it was initially believed he was executed for war crimes, including his actions during the Great Purge of Mandalore. It is also highly likely, had he not escaped he would have been executed for real.

Would you say, based on the severity of his war crimes his execution would be justified? If so, why?

@AdmiralZod1 I mean if we're talking like committing genocides/mass murders...then yeah, obviously it's more than likely justified to kill the Officers.

But I'm not going to execute Officer B just because they destroyed property. Sure it sucks that someone lost what they had, but that can always be replaced/rebuilt, which you can also make Officer B rebuild/replace what was lost, along with a lengthy prison sentence.

I agree with you on that. I don’t think every single imperial captured should be executed, however, I often question the idea of executing even the worst of the Imperial War Criminals, even Gideon. When it comes to taking life, I share the same views as the Jedi and Chiss, that it should only truly be done when life is at stake. If the Imperials are imprisoned then they are of no threat. However, I recognize such a view can be put into question as Gideon escaped twice, so arguably he could be said to be too dangerous to keep alive.

Perhaps there is no definite answer but I prefer not to take life unnecessarily. Besides, executing the high ranking imperials who committed atrocities could be a bad example. For one, it could turn them into martyrs. Many humans throughout the galaxy are still loyal to the Empire, and killing off its old leaders may embolden the loyalists. We are seeing more and more of the fanaticism that defines several Imperials and seeing their old commanders slain might inspire them to even worse feels. These things didn’t happen in Germany after the high ranking Nazi war criminals were executed, because Germany was a broken country and occupied by the Allies to such large extents that open rebellion wasn’t really plausible for the Nazi loyalists that remained. The Empire, however, wasn’t really conquered and we are talking about entire planets, many of which the New Republic can’t fully occupy to such extents.

Additionally, symbolically I am not sure it is good for the New Republic to carry out such executions. The Empire was a totalitarian regime that made ramapant use of the death penalty to exert its control and to reflect its cruelty. The New Republic, being the force that overthrew and is supposed to reflect that it is the light as opposed to the Empire’s darkness, is supposed to show that it is better than the Empire, so exerting its use of the death penalty on those of the old regime, doesn’t truly portray it the benevolent light it’s supposed to represent. If the New Republic is better than the Imperial oppressors it defeated, then shouldn’t show that it is above the Empire’s twisted morals or rather immoralities? Isn’t it executing members of the old regime something very similar to what the Empire would do?

I mean, the Empire executed innocent civilians, Jedi, and freedom fighters. The New Republic (as far as we know) only executed war criminals, many of which committed massacres against civilians. I don’t think the two are similar. The New Republic has already shown that it is better than the Empire by not killing innocent people. But that’s just my view on this, I can understand why you would think otherwise.